1758.] WESTERN INDIANS. 145 



ever he went, and finally succeeded in convincing 

 the Indians that their true interest lay in a strict 

 neutrality. When, therefore, Forbes appeared 

 before Fort du Quesne, the French found them- 

 selves abandoned to their own resources ; and, 

 unable to hold their ground, they retreated down 

 the Ohio, leaving the fort an easy conquest to the 

 invaders. During the autumn, the Ohio Indians 

 sent their deputies to Easton, where a great council 

 was held, and a formal peace concluded with the 

 provinces.^ 



While the friendship of these tribes was thus 

 lost and regained, their ancient tyrants, the Iro- 

 quois, remained in a state of very doubtful attach- 

 ment. At the outbreak of the war, they had 

 shown, it is true, many signs of friendship ; ^ but 

 the disasters of the first campaign had given them 



heard something of our brethren, the Enghsh, which pleaseth me much 

 better. I will not go. Give it to the others ; maybe they will go.' The 

 messenger took up again the string, and said, ' He won't go ; he has 

 heard of the English.' Then all cried out, ' Yes, yes, we have heard 

 from the English.' He then threw the string to the other fireplace, where 

 the other captains were ; but they kicked it from one to another, as if it 

 was a snake. Captain Peter took a stick, and with it flung the string 

 from one end of the room to the other, and said, ' Give it to the French 

 captain, and let him go with his young men ; he boasted much of his 

 fighting; now let us see his fighting. We have often ventured our lives 

 for him ; and had hardly a loaf of bread -when we came to him ; and now 

 he thinks we should jump to serve him.' Then we saw the French cap- 

 tain mortified to the uttermost ; he looked as pale as death. The Indians 

 discoursed and joked till midnight ; and the French captain sent messen- 

 gers at midnight to Fort Duquesne." 



The kicking about of the wampum belt is the usual indication of con- 

 tempt for the message of which the belt is the token. The uses of wam- 

 pum will be described hereafter. 



1 Minutes of Council at Easton, 1758. 



2 Account of Conferences between Major- General Sir W. Johnson and the 

 Chief Sachems and Warriors of the Six Nations (Lond. 1756). 



10 



